Improvement in printing-telegraphs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LANDY TUNSTALL LINDSEY AND HORACE HORATIO CURTISS, OF JACKSON,TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRINTING-TELEGRAPHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,623, dated October3, 1871.

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that we, LANDY TUNsTALL LIND- SEY and HORACE HoRATroGURTIss, of Jackson, in the county of Madison an d State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the manner ofconstructing Printing-Telgraph Instruments; and we hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters andfigures of reference thereon.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical view of the instrument. Fig. 2 isthe plan, with such portion cut away from the transmitting-plate as isnecessary to show the essential parts beneath. Fig. 3 shows themechanical circuit-changer, (divested of its connection with theinstrument,) and the electrical circuit which it forms or governs.

Our invention herein consists in a mechanical circuit-changer, which iscomposed of a vertical axis, M, on which is suspended two movable arms,N, the axis and arms representing one pole of a battery. The axis M hasan insulated section in its upper extremity, upon which is rit-ted ametallic rim, m, and at its lower extremity is situated (concentricallyaround said axis) an insulated stationary ring, m. The insulated rim mon the axis M above,and the stationary insulated ring m below, eachrepresents the other pole ofthe battery, which has two wires leadingtherefrom and connecting with these points. Upon these points (the rim mand ring m) the arms N alternately Aclose the circuit, the current owingthrough such helices as are included in the circuit of either of the twowires, which lead from the same pole, upon which the arms may haveclosed the circuit. (See Fig. 3.) The preponderance of weight of thearms N being below the point at which they are attached to the axis,when put in rapid motion they have a tendency to ly 0E in obedience tothe mechanical law of centrifugal force, the arms rising until they arestopped by contact of their upper extremities with the rim m on theinsulated section of the axis M, thereby completing the circuit throughone of the two wires which lead from the same pole of the battery. When,however, the motion of the axis ceases, the arms fall by reason ofgravity, breaking' their contact with the insulated rim m above, andalso the circuit there formed, and coming to rest upon the stationaryinsulated ring m below, reforming the circuit at this point through theother of the two wires which lead from the same pole of the battery.Vhen the motion of the axis is resumed the arms again rise, forming theconnection and circuit iirst stated, breaking loose from and severingthe contact just formed below and destroying the formation of thecircuit at that point until the arms again fall. It will be seen, byreference to Fig. 3, that when the circuit is formed through the topextremity of the arms N and the insulated rim m, all the helicesincluded in the route of the wire which leads to this point from thatpole which has two wires leading therefrom will be included in thecircuit, while those helices embraced in the route of the other wireleading' from the same pole and extending to the insulated ring m willnot be in any circuit, and vice versa. With equal propriety theconnections represented by the arms and the insulated rims might be usedin connection with a continuouslyclosed circuit to cut oft' the currentfrom its passage through the coils of a magnet, thereby annullin g andrestoring its power as the arms rise and fall. We also employ a toothedwheel, W, actuated by a weight or spring, in combination with a spring,It, for opening and closing the circuit which includes therein themagnet C, and thereby insures the vibration of the armature-lever B ofthis magnet. The toothed wheel W is ixed on an axis, A, which ispropelled by a weight or spring, as above expressed, and governed by anescapement, E, operating on a ratchet-wheel, F, on the axis A, theescapement E being controlled by the operation of the magnet C and itsarmature -lever B. The magnet C may be included in either a primary orsecondary circuit. When used in a primary circuit, when a tooth of thewheel WV and the tip of the spring R are in contact, they close thecircuit and direct the current through the helices of the magnet C,causing it to attract its armature-lever B, which lever will in turnmove the escapement E, the pallets of which will allow one tooth of theratchet-wheel F to escape, and thus allowing the axis A to revolvesufficiently far to bring a space of the toothed wheel W opposite thetip of the spring It, thereby breaking the circuit of the magnet C. Thearmature-lever B being then no longer influenced by magnetic attractionis withdrawn by a spiral spring, S, moving, also, the pallets of theeseapement E, which allows another tooth of the ratchet-wheel F toescape and the axis A to revolve suficientl y far to bring another toothof the wheel WV in contact with the spring R and a reclosing of thecircuit through magnet C, a repetition of these alternations continuingautomatically, the toothed wheel W and spring It operating the magnet C,and the magnet C (through the eseapement) operating the toothed wheeland spring. In the drawing, Fig. 2, I have employed the magnet G in asecondary circuit, its operation to be controlled by an ordinaryrelay-magnet, which is to be included in the primary circuit with thetoothed wheel W and spring R. By reference it will be seen that thecircuit is continuous. If the current is supposed to enter atbinding-screw H2 it will proceed to and pass through the helices ofmagnet C, thence to and through the helices of magnet C1 thence to andthrough the helices of magnet C2, thence to binding-screw H3, where itreturns to the other pole of the battery. The mechanicalcircuit-changer, in this instance, is employed by suitable cut-offconnections therewith, to exclude the current from its passage throughthe coils of the magnets G1 or G2, as may be necessary. The dotted linesrepresent the cut-olfeonnections. By followingtheir course it willbeseen that when the upper extremity of the arms N are in contact with themetallic rim m of the insulated section of the axis IWI the current willbe excluded from any passage through the coils of the magnet O2, and asthe magnet O1 has no such restrictions it retains its power and willattract the lever L, intervening and alternately commanded by both. Asthe purpose of this lever is to press a strip of paper to a type-wheel,J, on the axis A, and impring a letter thereon, it will be seen byfurther examination of the eut-out connections that when the rotation ofthe axis M ceases and the arms N drop to a contact with the stationaryinsulated rim m the coils of the magnet C1 will be excluded from thecurrent, and the obstacle to its passage through the coils of the magnetC2 being now removed, the latter magnet will immediately attract thelever L, and thus give the impression of the type to the paperinterposed. The dotted lines leading from the terminal wires of magnet Cto binding-screws H Hl are cut-oli' wires which extend to and connectwith the armature-lever and adjusting-screw of a relay-magnet. rlhevibration of the arma` ture-lever and adjusting-screw of therelay-magnet (in the primary circuit) is caused by the toothed wheel Wand springR opening' and closing that circuit, and the effect of thecontact of this lever and screw is to alternately cut off the currentfrom its passage through the coils of the magnet C, which is included inthe secondary circuit. This insures the vibration of the lever B and theeseapement E which it controls. rEhe eseapement E in turn allows theaxis A to revolve, carrying with it at each step a tooth of the wheel W,to or beyond a contact with sprin It the effect of which alternatecontact of the toothed wheel and spring' causes the vibration of thearmature-lever of the relaymagnet, which in turn repeats the connection,as above explained, and insures a repetition automatically of all themotions throughout, which will so continue unintermittingly.

Our invention further consists in an improved device for feeding thepaper, which may be described as follows: A vertical stud, iixed firmlyon a horizontal table or shelf which is fastened to and supported by theframe of the instrument, has tting over it a sleeve or cap, O, with anarm, o, projecting at a right angle thereiiom at its lower extremity,and all turning freely on the stud. Fitted on the sleeve O, and restingon the right-angle arm 0 is a wheel or roller, I, with a surface on itsperiphery suf'- ficiently broad to receive the paper, which is pressedagainst its surface by the action of a feed-hand, t', connected to theprinting-lever L. On the end of the right-angle arm 0, outside thediameter of the roller I, are set two vertical studs, c cl. On the studc is fitted the feed-hand t', so arranged that as the printing-lever Lrecedes from the type-wheel, the hand t' turning on its axis (the studc) first closes up the space between its points and the feed-roller I,pressing the intervening paper to the surface of this roller, and thencontinuing its receding course, carrying the arm, roller, and paper withit to the terminus of the stroke of the lever L which is impelling it,and where it will remain until this lever is again actuated and moves tothe type-wheel. In the latter case the feed-hand 1l, turning again onits axis c, releases the paper, strikes against the stud d on the arm o,which arrests its further movement alone and causes the arm 0 to advancewith it, the entire arrangement moving into the proper position toreturn with the paper when the lever L shall recede again after givingthe impression of the type to the paper. More than one type-wheel may beput on the axis A if desired.

We are aware that a toothed wheel and spring for opening and closing acircuit has been used in the House printing-instrument,77 but in thatcase it was not employed to assist in producing an automatic motion, orin connection with the kind of magnets used in this instrument.

Having described our invention, what we claim therein isl. Themechanical circuit-changer, composed of the vertical axis M, arms N,insulated rims m mf, and the electrical connections therewith, asdescribed, the arrangement acting upon the principle of centrifugalforce for changing the direction of an electrical current.

2. The combination ofthe magnet C, armaturelever B, eseapement E,ratchetwheel F, axis A propelled by a weight or spring and bearing thetoothed Wheel W, in conjunction with the spring In Witness whereof Wehave hereunto signed R and electrical connections described, for acournames this the 15th day of February, 1871.

quiring` an automatic movement of the instru- L. T. LINDSEY.

ment. H. H. CURTISS.

3. The device consisting of the sleeve O, arm

o, roller I, feedhzmd i, studs c d, lever L, for in- Witnesses:

suring,` the movement of the paper in the manner JNO. T. STARK,

as described. I. S. OONGER.

